Adjustable hood for sweepers



Feb. 1, 1955 D, PARKER r 2,700,783

ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPEZRS Filed July 16, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l 32INVENTORS EDWIN o. PARKER F 2 BY EARL E. STELZER Feb. 1, 1955 Filed July16, 1.953

4 Sheets-Sheet 2- Fig, 7

INVENTORS EDWIN D. PARKER BY EARL I E. STELZE-R Feb. 1, 1955 E. D.PARKER ETAL ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 16,1953 INVENTORS EDWIN D PARKER EARL E. STELZER BY Feb. 1, 1955 E. D.PARKER EI'AL ADJUSTABLE noon FOR SWEEPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July16, 1953 INVENTORS' EDW/N D. PAR/ R y EAR E. STELZER A TTORNEY UnitedStates Patent ADJUSTABLE HOOD FOR SWEEPERS Edwin D. Parker and Earl E.Stelzer, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to Parker Sweeper Company,Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 16, 1953,Serial No. 368,546

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-79) The present invention relates to sweepers, and isa continuation-in-part of our co-pending application SefleialdNo.87,522, filed April 14, 1949, and now abanone In general, the inventioncomprises a sweeper for removing debris such as grass, leaves, twigs,etc., from lawns or sidewalks. The sweeper includes an adjustable and arotatably driven brush, a receptacle to receive the debris picked up bythe brush, and a hood formed of resilient material positioned in frontof the brush, which guides the debris and directs it back into the re-*ceptacle.

In sweepers of this type, it is desirable to provide for raising andlowering the lower portion of the hood. For example, when sweepingsidewalks or short blade grass, it is desirable that the lower portionof the hood be closer to the surface being swept than when the sweeperis used, for example, on lawns of tall grass. Furthermore, it isdesirable that the hood be arcuate in shape, part of the are being on anaxis substantially coincident with the axis of the rotating brush.

In accordance with the present invention, the frame of the sweepercomprises three abutment members or shoulders preferably arranged inplanes lying parallel with the axis of the brush, and these threemembers are vertically spaced from one another. A hood, formed offlexible material such as sheet metal, bears against these abutmentmembers. The intermediate abutment member lies in a plane outside of aplane intersecting the upper and lower abutment members, and liesforwardly of the upper abutment member whereby, when the hood is placedin position, the intermediate abutment member engages the concave sideof the hood and the upper and lower abutment members engage the convexside of the hood.

Such arrangement of abutment members in combination with the hood ofresilient material provides for ready holding of the hood in position,however, it is desirable for ready fastening of the hood in anadjustable position. The present invention contemplates the readyshifting of the hood and the ready fastening of the hood in its adjustedposition.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention areclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sweeper constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the sweeper, partly in elevation,and taken on the 1ine22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial, side elevational view illustrating in greaterdetail the lower end of the handle, the brush adjusting mechanism, andthe receptacle to handle attaching bracket;

Fig. 4 is a broken, vertical sectional view of the hood shown in Fig. land illustrating in greater detail the finger grip and the meansprovided for adjusting and holding the hood in an adjusted position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating a modifiedconstruction for this part;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view illustrating one of the side platesincluded in the frame, the gear wheel and pinion for rotating the brush;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, asviewed from the right side thereof;

2,700,783 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 Fig. 8 is a side, vertical section ofthe hood of the type shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the angle ofdischarge from the upper end when the hood is adjusted in its lowermostposition;

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial, side vertical sections similar to Fig. 8 andillustrating the angle of discharge when the hood is adjusted in anintermediate position and in the raised or uppermost position;

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are views, similar to Figs. 9 and 10, of the typeof hood shown in Fig. 5 and illustrating the angle of discharge when thehood is in various adjusted positions;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view showing another form of fastening the hoodin adjusted position; and

15 is a sectional view taken on line 15-15 of Referring more in detailto the drawings, the sweeper shown includes a frame indicated generallyat 10 which includes a pair of oppositely disposed side plates 11 and12. Each of these plates is cast with a stationary axle means in theform of an insert 13, Fig. 7. A pair of spaced wheels 15 and 16 arerotatably mounted on the axle means and disposed on opposite sides ofthe frame. These wheels are encased in rubber tires 17, as shown in Fig.1, which rest on the surface being cleaned.

A gear wheel 20, Figs. 6 and 7, is carried on each of the axles 13 andis covered by the wheel. The gears engage with pawls carried on thewheels 15 and 16 and are driven thereby. These pawls, not shown, engagethe inner teeth shown on the gears 20 and provide for driving the gearsin one direction only. A pinion gear 23 engages the outer teeth shown onthe gears 20 and in turn rotates the reel shaft 24 upon which a brush 25is mounted. This brush is driven to rotate in a clockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 2.

Top and bottom tie rods 27 and 28 are connected between the side platesin vertically spaced positions. These rods are secured at each end withset screws in the shoulders 27a and 28a formed in the side plates. Ashoulder 29, in the form of an arcuate-shaped rib, projects inwardlyfrom each side plate. As seen in Fig. 2, the rod 27, shoulder or rib 29,and shoulder 28a are spaced vertically from one another. Theintermediate shoulder 29 is spaced forwardly of the upper rod 27 andrearwardly of shoulder 28a.

The brush 25 is raised or lowered relative to the surface being cleanedby adjusting the position of the side plates with respect to the wheelsabout which they are free to pivot. To facilitate this adjustment theside plates are drilled, as indicated at 44, Fig. 6, so that each end ofthe top tie rod 27 extends through the opening 44. A square headed setscrew 45, Fig. 1, retains rod 27 in place. The brush adjusting bracket46, Fig. 3, is in the form of a casting having a slotted shank portion47 and an elbow. This bracket is supported by the elbow which is drilledand press fitted over the outer end of the tie rod 27 projecting throughthe side plate. A carriage bolt and wing nut, as indicated at 49, areprovided to hold the side plates in the adjusted position. Thus when thewing nut is loosened the side plates, which support the brush assembly,are free to slide up or down to the extent of the length of the slot inbracket 46.

A handle, generally indicated at 55, is provided for manipulating thesweeper. This handle is shown engaging at its lower end with the axlemeans 13. The handle is formed from tubular sections. The lower handlesection 56 is flattened at one end and punched to provide an opening ofsuflicient diameter to snap over the end of the axle 13. The handleengages the shoulder 56a and is retained with a spring washer engagingthe neck 56b. The upper end of section 56 is drilled transversely toprovide a bore. This end of section 56 is inserted within the lower endof section 57 which is drilled to provide a transverse bore adapted toregister with the bore formed in the upper end of section 56. Thesesections are firmly secured with the bolt 49. The upper end of section57 is drilled to provide a transverse bore. This end of section 57 is ofsufficient diameter to receive the inserted ends of the U-shaped handlesection 58. The ends of section 58 are drilled to provide holes adaptedto align with those provided in section 57 when the ends engage. Inassembling this part of the handle, the cross rod 59, which is tapped ateach end to receive a screw 60, is inserted through the aligned openingsin the engaging ends of sections 57 and 58 and screw 60 inserted to holdboth of the sections of the handle and the cross rod in position.

A bracket 51 has a curved top portion adapted to fit over the handleadjacent the overlapping sections 56 and 57. The top portion is providedwith an aligned pair of punched openings, as indicated at 51a in Fig. 2.The bottom part of the bracket projects below the handle edge and isalso provided with an aligned pair of punched openings, as indicated at51b in Fig. 3. The bracket is held in position on the handle by bolt 49which passes through one of the top openings 51a.

The debris receptacle 40 is formed with a flat bottom 65 of resilientsheet metal and canvas back and side walls as indicated at 66 and 67.The canvas back and side walls are formed with herns through which thecross rod 59 and the handle sections 57 are received. At the bottom thecanvas is folded and the outer edges of bottom 65 crimped or folded overto grip the canvas. A support rod 68, Fig. 2, for the receptacle isrolled into the bottom 65 at the front edge thereof. This rod extends ateach end beyond the sides of the receptacle. These ends can then beengaged in the holes 51b in bracket 51. When the rod 68 is so engaged,the bottom 65 is connected in the position shown in Fig. 2.

A U-shaped rod 70 is provided to support the handle in a raised oroperating position. This rod is formed with loops at its upper endsthrough which the cross rod 59 freely extends. The bottom of the rod 70,which is substantially horizontal, rests against the inside of thebottom member 65. Then, when the rod 68 is connected to the bracket 51,the bottom 65, being held at the back by rod 70, assumes the upwardlysloping curve indicated generally at 71 in Fig. 2. The upwardly slopingbottom thus provides for sliding the debris rearwardly in the receptacleand prevents spilling when sweeping over rough surfaces. Also, when rod70 is swung forward and out of engagement, the resilient bottom assumesits normally flat position, i. e., lies flat and can be covered by thecanvas back and side walls whereby it is protected and the sweeperoccupies a minimum of storage space. It will be readily apparent thatboth the receptacle and the handle can be completely removed from thesweeper if so desired.

Debris swept up by the brush is directed against the hood 32. This hoodprovides for discharging the debris backward over the brush and into thereceptacle. The hood 32 is formed from a thin fiat piece of resilientsheet metal. The lower end of the hood is inserted under the upper tierod 27, over shoulder 29, and under the lower shoulder 28a, as seen inFig. 2. The retaining or abutment members 27, 28a, and 29 support andform guide means frictionally holding the hood arcuately in positionthrough the inherent resiliency of the hood. When mounted the hood isheld with its forward side engaging the upper and lower members 27 and28a and its rear side engaging the intermediate member 29. The hood isthus slidably mounted and adjustable.

The upper end of the hood is curved to provide a finger grip asindicated at 33 for adjusting the hood. This end of the hood is alsoformed with a plurality of indentations or dimples which provide bulges34, Fig. 4, on the upper side of the hood. These bulges provide stopmeans adapted to engage with the top tie rod 27 to hold the hood in anadjusted position relative to the adjusted position of the brush withrespect to the surface being cleaned. This end of the hood is alsoformed with a curve or downward bend as indicated at 35 in Fig. 4. Thehood has an over-all height of twelve inches, and the bulges 34 arespaced downwardly from the top edge on centers approximately of an inchapart, and the upper end is bent down at 35 in a curve on a four inchradius. With this construction, as seen in Figs. 8 to 10, the angle ofdischarge from the top edge of the hood is always substantially the sameregardless of the position to which the hood is adjusted with respect tothe tie rod 27, and consequently with respect to the ground. Debris isthus discharged into the back part of the receptacle at approximatelythe same angle of discharge under all sweeping conditions.

The lower or bottom end of the hood is bent inward- 1y, as indicated at36 in Figs. 4 and 8. In the preferred construction, this bend is formedon a curve approximately inch radius. Thus, when the hood is in itslowermost position, the end 36 is closest to the surface being swept andcurves inwardly and partially under the front part of the brush.

In Fig. 5 a modified construction for the upper end of the hood 32 isshown. This construction provides for adjustably bending the upper endof the hood downwardly to control the angle of discharge of the debrisfrom the upper portion of the hood and into the receptacle. The hood isprovided with a bracket 41 having a plurality of steps 42 slopingupwardly as shown. The top tie rod 27 forms a stop member with which thesteps can be selectively engaged. Such engagement controls the positionof the hood, at the end having the book 33, with respect to thereceptacle. Thus, regardless of the adjusted position of the hood, i.e., up or down with respect to the surface being cleaned, the top ordischarge end of the hood is held in a position to maintain the angle ofdischarge substantially the same under all conditions, as indicated inFigs. 11 and 13. This construction provides for keeping the angle atwhich debris is discharged back into the receptacle adjusted to obtainthe best operation. That is, the debris discharge is controlled so thatit is neither at so high an angle as to be caught by the wind nor at solow an angle as to strike the top of the brush.

One of the features of this construction resides in being able to lowerthe bottom of the hood close enough to the surface being cleaned so thatdebris thrown forward by the brush is not swept ahead of the sweeper.Such debris strikes the hood and is directed back into the receptacle.Also, the hood and brush being relatively close together and close tothe surface being cleaned, the suction effect created by the rotation ofthe brush is utilized to pick up particles which an ordinary brush wouldpass over. Furthermore, the adjustment of the brush can now be utilizedmore effectively for cleaning different types of surfaces because thehood can be adjusted with the brush by sliding it either up or down tocorrespond to the adjusted position of the brush. This adjustment requires neither special tools nor the loosening and tightening of boltsand nuts.

In operation, the sweeping unit is adjusted up or down within thebracket 46 until the brushes just touch the grass or surface to beswept. The hood 32 is then slid up or down to adjust it with respect tothe surface being cleaned and then fastened in that position, and whichadjustment does not substantially vary the angle of discharge of debrisinto the receptacle. By lowering the hood, the sweeper can be used onsidewalks and like surfaces since the sweepings from the brushes cannotbe thrown forward of the sweeper.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Figs. 14 and 15, instead ofutilizing the bulges 34 or the steps 42, the hood is positively clampedin position. For this purpose there is provided a clamping element 50having a hook portion 51, which is arranged to hook over the tie rod 27or 28, but in the preferred embodiment is hooked over the lower tie rod28. The clamp is arranged to bear against the front of the hood 32.Either the clamping element 50 or the hood 32 can be provided with avertically extending slot, and either the clamping element or the hoodcan be provided with a hole and, in the preferred embodiment, the slotis formed in the clamp ing element and is shown at 52, while the hole isprovided in the hood 32 and is shown at 53. The slot and the hole arealigned and receive a carriage bolt 54. A wing nut cooperates with thebolt 54 for clamping the hood in position with respect to the tie rod28, there being a washer 56 between the nut and the clamping element.

Cross reference is made to the co-pending application of the applicant,Serial No. 49,788, filed on September 7, 1948, now Patent No. 2,689,367.

While the forms of embodiments of the present invention as hereindescribed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that otherforms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

We claim:

1. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, adebris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, incombination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; three laterallyextending members mounted on the frame forward of the brush and spacedvertically from one another; a curved hood carried vertically slidableby said members having its concave surface engaged by the intermediateone of said members and its convex side engaged by the other twomembers, said hood being positioned in spaced relation to the forwardsurface of the rotating brush and having a vertically extending lowerportion and an upper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a properangle of debris discharge; said three members being relativelycritically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in said properrearwardly curved configuration for various vertical adjustments of thelower hood portion; means carried by the hood for selectively engagingone of said members to retain the hood in various positions ofadjustment.

2. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, adebris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, incombination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; two laterallyextending members positioned on the frame forward of the brush andspaced vertically from one another; an arcuate shaped rib member mountedto the frame between said laterally extending members; a curved hoodslidably carried by and having its convex surface engaged by the saidmembers and its concave surface engaged by the rib member, said hoodbeing positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of therotating brush and having a vertically extending lower portion and anupper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debrisdischarge;

said three members being relatively critically positioned to maintainthe upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curved configurationfor various vertical adjustments of the lower hood portion; a pluralityof projections vertically spaced on the convex surface of the hood andpositioned to selectively engage one of said members to retain the hoodin various positions of adjustment.

3. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, adebris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, incombination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush; an arcuatelyshaped hood positioned in spaced relation to the forward surface of therotating brush and having a lower portion vertically positioned and anupper portion rearwardly curved to maintain a proper angle of debrisdischarge; a laterally extending member mounted to the frame andengaging the convex surface of the lower portion of the hood; a secondlaterally extending member mounted to the frame vertically spaced abovesaid first mentioned member and engaging the concave surface of thehood; a third laterally extending member mounted on the frame andengaging the convex surface of the upper hood portion, said third memberbeing critically positioned to maintain the upper hood portion in saidproper rearwardly curved configuration for various vertical adjustmentsof the lower hood portion.

4. In a sweeper having a rotating brush, means for rotating the brush, adebris receptacle, and a handle for manipulating the sweeper, incombination, a frame for carrying the rotating brush, said frameincluding side plates; an arcuately shaped hood element positioned inspaced relation to the forward surface of the rotating brush and havinga lower portion vertically positioned and an upper portion rearwardlycurved to maintain a proper angle of debris discharge; a laterallyextending member mounted to the frame and engaging the convex surface ofthe lower portion of the hood; a second laterally extending membermounted to the frame and vertically spaced above said first-mentionedmember and engaging the concave surface of the hood; a third laterallyextending member mounted on the frame and engaging the convex surface ofthe upper hood portion, said third member being critically positioned tomaintain the upper hood portion in said proper rearwardly curvedconfiguration for vertical adjustment of the lower hood portion, one ofsaid members comprising a rod having its opposite ends connected withthe said plates; a clamping element arranged to bear against the hoodelement and having a hook portion hooked about said rod, one of saidelements having a vertically extending slot and the other said elementshaving an opening aligned with the slot; clamping means extendingthrough said hole and said slot for holding the hood element in adjustedposition with respect to said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS493,483 Cook Mar. 14, 1893 501,352 Myers July 11, 1893 513,438 PalmerJan. 23, 1894 594,397 Hawk Nov. 30, 1897 965,245 Spicer July 26, 19101,057,949 Ekre Apr. 1, 1913 1,448,385 Bryant Mar. 13, 1923 1,615,928Breeden Feb. 1, 1927 2,654,106 Parker Oct. 6, 1953

